MARQUS RICHARDS TABBED ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Feb. 14 -- Adams State College issued the following press release:

Adams State College junior Marqus Richards (Culver City, Calif.) has been named as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference/Baden Men's Basketball Defensive Player of the Week after his efforts that helped the Grizzlies win two games last weekend while clinching a spot in the upcoming RMAC Shootout.

Richards had earlier received the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week award on Jan. 10 and is the third different Grizzly to be recognized as the league's Defensive Player of the Week this season. (Seth Heinbaugh, Nov. 22; Shayar Lee, Jan. 4).

This past weekend, Richards averaged 8.0 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game as the Grizzlies held UC-Colorado Springs and Colorado State-Pueblo to a combined 40.8 percent shooting effort. He also led the Grizzlies in scoring in both of those games and had 14 defensive rebounds in the victories.

On Friday, Richards tallied eight defensive and nine total rebounds while recording three steals, as the Grizzlies forced 22 first half and 29 total turnovers in an 83-69 win over UC-Colorado Springs, which shot 40.8 percent (20-49) from the field. He then tallied three more steals and six defensive rebounds in Saturday's win over. Colorado State-Pueblo, which shot just 40.7 percent (22-54) from the field.

He also tallied 19 points in the win over UC-Colorado Springs and another 18 in the win over Colorado State-Pueblo and is averaging a team-best 13.7 per game throughout the season.

Richards, who ranks 15th in the RMAC for scoring, stands sixth in the RMAC in steals per game (1.8) this season and has helped the Grizzlies already set a new NCAA Division II era (1992-93/Present) record for steals in a season. They recorded 17 in Friday's win and now have a RMAC-high 265 on the season, four more than the 1996-97 squads' mark of 261.

The Grizzlies rank fourth in the latest NCAA Division II statistics with their 12.0 steal per game average, an average that is an incredible 4.0 per game greater than any other team in the RMAC.

The Grizzlies, who still have four regular season games remaining on the slate, are 16-6 overall and 12-6 in RMAC play. Their 16 wins are just two shy of the school's NCAA Division II era school-record of 18, set three years ago. The 12 RMAC wins are just one fewer than the 2006-07 RMAC West Division Championship and NCAA Tournament qualifying squad that won 13 RMAC games, the most of any ASC team since at least the 1972-73 season.

The Grizzlies will attempt to reach those marks this weekend when they host Colorado Christian (7-15, 6-12 RMAC) and Colorado Mines (19-3, 15-3 RMAC) this weekend in their final two home games of the season on Friday and Saturday, respectively. Colorado Mines, which plays at Fort Lewis on Friday, currently leads the RMAC.

Both games are slated for 8 p.m. tip-offs following 6 p.m. women's clashes and can be heard live on KSPK-FM (104.1 in Alamosa) and via the internet at www.kspk.com.

Live statistics will also be available by clicking here.

Saturday night's games with the Orediggers will also be televised on a tape-delay basis by KSPK. That doubleheader can be seen Sunday (Feb. 20), starting at 6 p.m. and again on Saturday, Feb. 26, starting at 7 p.m.

KSPK-TV can be viewed in the following areas:

* Walsenburg on channel 28 (over the air) and on Bresnan Cable channel 16

* Trinidad on channel 34 (over the air)

* Aguilar on channel 17 (over the air)

* Colorado City/Rye on channel 28 (over the air) and on TVision channel 10

Fans that are not in those viewing areas can purchase DVDs of either or both games directly from KSPK-TV by calling Susan at 719-738-3636, or by emailing her at susan@kspk.com. The cost is $12 per DVD and fans should allow 3 to 4 weeks for delivery.

Fans wishing to get a sneak peek at the broadcasts can also watch the games live online with a single-game or season-long subscription to AmericaOne. For more information about that option, please visit http://www.b2livetv.com/partner_members.asp?id=66. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com